By:
• Teng Yalirozy

• September 14, 2024 , 7:00 PM

PHNOM PENH — Science subjects have always fascinated Heng Chou I, she said. Growing up in the province, she never even once thought of living without science in her life.

Heng Chou I has now become the first Cambodian woman to be awarded an ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship as part of a program launched in 2023 by the United Kingdom (UK) and ASEAN to empower women in ASEAN and Timor-Leste to overcome the barriers in the STEM sector in the region—STEM meaning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

“When I saw the offer from the university through email, I never believed that I could embark on a journey to the UK,” Chou I said with a shy smile during an interview on a warm sunny day at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, as she was dressed in a pale purple shirt and black pants—low key but with a touch of excitement.

Having a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition from Thailand, she is working as academic program coordinator for STEM at an NGO school. She used to teach chemistry and biology at a secondary school.

However, Chou I has been determined to pursue her science studies. Relentlessly seeking ways to improve her skills, she kept looking for a program she could apply for so she could help improve the STEM sector in Cambodia.

In 2024, her wish was granted. She will pursue a Master of Sciences in Analytical Sciences and Instrumentation at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, and this, under the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships program.

This program is funded by the UK Government through the ASEAN–UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (SAGE) Programme, running between 2023 and 2028 with funding roughly up to $39 million.

The SAGE programme is described as aiming to enhance literacy and numeracy skills, support marginalized groups, and break gender barriers regarding digital skills and employment for young women.
 

Getting an Admission Letter First, and You Are Set

As Chou I explained, the applicants must carefully read the instructions on the website. Among other documents, they must request admission letters from two partner universities in Great Britain, which are the University of Warwick and the Imperial College London.

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship program is a bit different from the popular UK’s Chevening Scholarship Programme as once they have been approved for admission at the university, they don’t have to handle the scholarship application themselves, Chou I said. She was not required to go through the interview process once she had obtained her admission letter, although the Imperial College London requires interviews with the shortlisted candidates, she said.

The application process for the scholarship begins in February, and applicants must complete all requirements on the university's website. Three months later, the university announces the applicants selected and sends an offer letter with financial requirement details.

At first, Chou I wanted to decline as she was unsure whether the scholarship would provide sufficient financial support for her to live in Great Britain, she said. But one month later, the sponsor team sent her another letter confirming that she had obtained the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship.

It All Began with a Curiosity for Scienc

“I can say that, from the start, I was fascinated about learning STEM in high school—I’m good at science,” Chou I said. “When I was studying for my bachelor's degree, I also chose Agro-Industry at the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA).”

Originally from Kandal province, Chou I graduated from secondary school in 2012, and after two years at RUA, she went to Thailand and attended the Prince of Songkla University. Coming back in 2018, Chou I started to profoundly immerse herself in STEM where she saw a lot of shortcomings in the sector.

“At that time, I didn’t know much about STEM; I just knew that it involved science,” Chou I said. “After obtaining my bachelor’s degree and getting involved in the education sector, particularly focusing on STEM, I learned that there were many gaps in STEM and science fields to which I wanted to contribute.”

As an academic program coordinator at an NGO school, Chou I needed to focus on curriculum development and STEM education, considering the needs of students, society, and the community, while also ensuring a suitable STEM curriculum.

Before entering the field, Chou I had no clear perspective on the potential of STEM. Still, she had faith in science for its significant potential to develop human resources and “social welfare” in the country.

Passion and curiosity started to fuel Chou I’s dream to pursue a master of science overseas. Her first attempts failed until she applied for this ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship.

“I saw the announcement of the British Council in Thailand, and ASEAN member states are eligible,” she recalled. “Then the British Embassy in Phnom Penh posted the application announcement. That was when I decided to give it a try.”

Chou I is pursuing analytical science. As she explained, the major involves laboratory experiments and statistical interpretation of data to produce journal reports, similar to science reports, which primarily involve lab research.

The university provides a wide range of research topics, but her interests are food science, food safety and waste management. She plans to continue her research, having a passion for food science or nutrition, in the UK.

Cambodia Lacks STEM Experts and Heng Chou I Hopes to Help Train More

The country, in this new era, is benefiting from foreign investment, particularly in STEM-related factories, requiring skilled workers for those factories as well as to help family economy, especially since these skilled workers earn higher salaries, Chou I said.
 

In fact, STEM is one of the backbones of the nation’s economic growth, which is why the Cambodian government has promoted various STEM fields, including universities and TVET (technical and vocational education and training) schools, to provide students in the provinces access to STEM education, she said.

Cambodian students' interest in STEM has significantly increased, with enrolment for bachelor's degree with STEM major reaching 30.69 percent in 2021 compared to 26.83 percent in 2016, according to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

However, Cambodia still needs more human resources in STEM fields to boost economic development, Chou I said. The main challenge is the lack of Cambodian STEM experts, as many teachers in secondary schools and higher education in these fields are of foreign nationalities.

“Most foreigners provide training and materials, and language barriers exist due to the fact that a limited number of Cambodian teachers know English,” she explained. “Therefore, it is crucial to have Khmer content related to STEM to support these teachers.”

Chou I hopes that, with the knowledge she will have gained during her studies in the United Kingdom, she will be able to contribute to STEM training in the country.

She would like to help develop a STEM curriculum for secondary schools and in Khmer language, and to promote STEM education and fields for careers among Cambodians, she said.

Chou I would also like to become a project manager to help create and implement more STEM-related programs and discover new trends through research.

For Chou I, women must be heavily involved in STEM research and work as they are the crucial engine to promote sustainability and inclusiveness in the country and address gender equality in the process. Women are underrepresented in STEM education, making up only 35 percent of graduates, and therefore in STEM careers—a percentage that has not changed over the last 10 years, according to UNESCO.

In its report on the opportunities and obstacles to attract and keep girls and women in STEM fields, the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) says that, while Cambodia's science, technology, and innovation roadmap (STI) aims for 50 percent of university graduates to major in STEM, with 40 percent being women by 2030, the number of students majoring in these fields and especially female students is very low compared to other countries in the region.

But for Chou I, there is no doubt that she and other women have an important role to play in these fields. As she explained, “[i]f I could go back, I would still choose STEM as my main focus because I’m fascinated by STEM.”